HMP Pentonville & Holloway. Not a typical New Years Eve

So it’s New Years eve and I found myself sat in the pub in the depths of Summers Town. Surrounded buy Celtic paraphernalia, Hurling teams and of course the Rugby team , Men in one room and women in the other. Children sitting off away, bored of adult shenanigans and a few bar stool republicans. It was so 1990′s minus the smoke. It was a pub you knew you could discuss business and business was discussed.

We were all gathering to take part in Global Noise demo for Prisoner Solidarity. This is an event inspired by the North American call for a day of action in solidarity with prisoners and against the prison system, which itself has long been a symbol of struggle against our oppressors. Private prisons and capitalist companies running these institutes, they who make money out of the incarceration of our brothers and sisters have to be brought under some form of control. Recent reports from the Prison Inspection team show a reoccurring system of abuse against a large part of our population including, mentally ill, vulnerable, and the largest numbers of minors after the USA. Prisoners all over the world are routinely raped, abused, tortured and kept in the most inhuman conditions. This has to stop.

The first event was held on New Years Eve 2010/2011 and again on New Years Eve 2011/2012 and is growing each year in numbers. This year we went to Pentonville Prison and wished them Happy New year with our pots and pans, horns and whistles. The boys in the cells started to flash their lights and bang the windows and began to chant along with us. After an hour we moved on to Holloway Women’s Prison. We chanted Happy New year and made our selves heard………

Solidarity to every man, woman and child incarcerated by the state. This act of terrorism is archaic and should be abolished. Humanity over profit !!!!